As you know, before I begin my list it is my duty to remind you that all Essential Oil companies are not created equally.  When looking at companies it’s important to understand their motivations for being a company and how they respond to their commitments to the Earth.  As always my recommendation to you is to support Floracopeia.  I have used them with the most amazing results for years and years.

OK.  Off my soap box.

I get asked this question all the time and thought perhaps it would be useful for you to know what Essential Oils you could have on hand for emergencies.  These three oils can handle almost anything you throw at them.  From Cold and Flue season, to cuts and scrapes, to burns to insomnia and beyond.  If you have these within reach at all times you will be able to deal with most situations that arise for you and your friends and family.  Most of the time it is inappropriate to put Essential Oils directly on your skin, but these three oils are safe for direct application…though you can always feel free to mix them with a carrier oil of your choice (I usually use Coconut.)

1) Lavender.

Lavenders are very important to know your source from.  You want to have a pure lavender for your medicine chest.  Lavender is sort of the save all.  It can go directly on fresh burns.  It can soothe itchy skin and insect bites.  It can help relax an anxious stomach or anything that needs relaxing.  It can assist when insomnia is knocking.  It is great for Night Terrors for kids.  It is antibacterial/antiviral so it can even disinfect a wound, though I recommend Tea Tree below.  I can’t say enough good stuff about Lavender.  Like I said, it can either be directly applied to can be placed in the palm for direct palm inhalation.

2) Tea Tree

I first found tea tree when I was healing my nose ring piercing.  I had this horrible red swelling erupt around the piercing and it was, well, embarrassing and painful.  On a whim I started applying direct Tea Tree to the redness and within a week, my nose ring (which wasn’t healing well) healed perfectly (and 15 years later still is in perfect condition.)  I always have Tea Tree around.  Anytime I scratch my skin past a surface scratch I put tea tree on.  Here on Maui we have to be worried about Staph infections…but I just apply tea tree to any cut and I feel protected and good to go.  A few drops on the cut or the bandaid before you apply it to the wound will do amazingly well at keeping the wound safe and healing!

During Cold and Flu season I put Lavender, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus and Rosemary in my diffuser all day to keep my immunity strong!

3) Rosemary

I am never without Rosemary.  In fact, I have a bottle in my car at all times because if I get a little too relaxed I put a drop in my hands for a quick palm inhalation…it’s a great pick me up!  And on these twisty turvy roads…it’s a blessing for me!  It’s also amazing at opening up chest colds…at the first sign breathe this deeply into the lungs.  And…as if this herb was too good to be true it relaxes sore muscles…and can be applied with a carrier oil (coconut or olive are easy to find) to charlie horses!  One last thing…because of it’s muscle relaxing properties it’s amazing for many types of headache and migraines.  A drop to the temples or back of the neck and a deep inhale…and see how quickly that changes your pain level!

It’s nice to know little remedies for being prepared in a pinch.  Of course, it should go without saying that if it’s more than a scratch or something easily handled at home you should seek the advice of a health care professional.  But having these on hand should at least get you going in the right direction for healthy healing!